Ski pole baskets



1964 P. w. PHlLuPsoN 3,

SKI POLE BASKETS Filed Sept. 28, 1962 I!" I 1/ l 0 /8 ll W 23 2,3 INVENTOR.

Fig- 1 g g/m l L Pym/P50 flTToR NEY United States Patent 3,163,437 SKI POLE BASKETS Phillip William Phillipson, 665 Cherry St., Denver 5, Colo. Fiied Sept. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 226,993 1 Qlaim. (til. 280-1137) This invention relates to ski poles of the type used by snow skiers. Ski poles of this type usually comprise a cane-like shank having a hand grip at the upper extremity and a snow penetrating point or spike at the lower extremity. A disc or ring, usually called a basket, is mounted on the shank adjacent the spike to limit the amount of insertion of the Spike and to self-support the pole in the snow.

This invention relates, more particularly, to an improvement over the conventional spike and basket members of ski poles. It has been found exceedingly difficult to maintain the usual relatively long spike rigidly in place on the staff of a ski pole. If the spikes become imbedded in hard snow or ice or in the ground or in a supporting platform while the skier is moving forwardly, a tilting force or bending strain is applied to the spikes which tends to bend or break them away from their poles resulting in damage to the ski pole and often in unbalancing and upsetting the skier. The present long, rigid spikes are also objectionable in that they can inflict deep and dangerous body wounds upon the skiers in the case of entangling falls on the slopes and runs.

The principal object of this invention is to eliminate the usual long, rigid ski pole spike, with its resulting disadvantages, and replace it with an economical, easily applied, fanged foot member or basket which will prevent slippage of the ski pole on snow and ice or other slick surfaces.

Another object is to provide a foot member or basket for ski poles which will automatically tilt and assume a flat contact position relative to the snow surface, when forced thereagainst, regardless of the relative incline between the pole and the snow surface so as to provide a firm non-slip contact with the snow and to provide a basket which will normally and resiliently lie at right angles to the pole when free from the snow.

A further object is to provide a plurality of downwardly extending, non-slip prongs on a basket of the above type which will increase the holding power of the basket and replace the usual spike and which due to the flexible mounting of the basket will always enter the snow at right angles to the surface of the latter.

A still further object is to provide a basket having all of the above advantages which will consist of simple, stamped and molded parts which are economical to manufacture and assemble and which can be quickly and easily applied to a conventional ski pole without the use of tools.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and through the description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a ski pole showing the invention in place therein;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-section looking downwardly on the line 2-2, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary developed, vertical section taken on the line 33, FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a detail plan view of a sheet metal blank from which a fanged bottom plate employed on the invention is formed.

3,163,437 Patented Dec. 29., 1964 ice The invention is illustrated applied to a conventional ski pole having a staff 10, a hand grip 11 and a wrist strap 12 and is designed to form a tiltable, resilient, non-slip, foot member or basket on the lower extremity of the staff 10.

The improved basket comprises a circular basket plate, a fanged bottom plate and a resilient, flanged ferrule permanently locked together by means of suitable rivets 13.

The basket plate is stamped from sheet metal such as sheet aluminum to form a tubular circular rim 14 supported from three integral, fiat, curvated spokes 15 radiating from a concentric, circular, inverted socket or cup portion 15 having an axial opening 17.

The flanged ferrule portion is molded from rubber, neoprene or tough resilient plastic such as polyethylene to form a vertical, tubular ferrule 18 having an internal diameter which is normally slightly less than the external diameter of the staff It so that the latter may be forced into and frictionally engaged by the flexible ferrule. A relatively thick circular disc 19 is molded on the ferrule 18 to close the bottom of the latter. This disc has a relatively larger diameter than the ferrule so as to form a peripheral bottom flange about the latter.

The fanged bottom plate comprises a sheet metal blank contoured, as shown in FIG. 4, to form a circular central portion from which three equally spaced, fiat, relatively pointed prongs 21 radiate to form a three-point starshape. The blank is stamped to form a flat-bottomed, circular, depressed socket 2b in the circular central portion corresponding in diameter to the diameter of the cup portion 16 in the ring element and to the diameter of the bottom disc 19 of the ferrule portion. The stamping also serves to bend the extremities of the prongs 21 downwardly at points indicated in broken line at 22 in FIG. 4 to form three snow-engaging fangs 23 of curvated crosssection. Rivet holes 24 are punched in the prongs 21 to receive the rivets 13.

The basket is assembled by passing the ferrule portion 13 upwardly through the axial opening 17 in the ring element so that the resilient bottom disc 19 will rest in the inverted cup portion 16 of the basket plate. The bottom plate is then riveted against the basket plate with the disc 19 positioned in the socket 20 as shown in FIG. 3. The entire assembly is then fitted over the lower extremity of the ski pole staff It).

It can be seen from the above that the basket is resiliently free to tilt to conform to the incline of the snow surface so that the fangs will always imbed themselves straight into the snow regardless of the direction of thrust of the ski pole so as to eliminate slipping without strain upon the ski pole. As the skier moves forward, the basket and fangs remain in a firm flat position on the surface while the ski pole pivots forwardly with the skiers forward stroke. When the stroke is completed, the basket lifts easily from the snow rather than being forced to make a V-shaped hole as a long, rigid spike is forced to do. When lifted from the snow, the basket instantly returns to a plane at right angles to the staff 10.

While the above describes a preferred means for mounting a basket on the extreme lower extremity of a ski pole staff, other means such as a ball joint or a spring-loaded pivot joint or a combination of the two might be used. In any case, however, it is essential to this invention that the ski pole stafi does not extend below the basket and that the spike or spikes are separated from and independently movable relative to the staff.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

A basket for a ski pole comprising: a circular basket plate having an axial opening; a bottom plate fixedly and concentrically mounted on the bottom of said basket plate; a relatively thick, flat, resilient, circular disc concentrically clamped between said basket plate and said bottom plate and closing said axial opening; a flexible, tubular ferrule integrally and concentrically formed on said circular disc and extending through said axial'opening to receive the ski pole; a circular, cup-shaped, fiatbot-tomed socket concentrically indented downwardly in said bottom plate and containing and maintaining said circular disc in place; a similar, inverted, cup-shaped socket concentrically indented upwardly in said basket plate about said axial opening in which said circular disc is contained; and downwardly extending, snow-engaging fangs formed on and extending downwardly bottom plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS from said 2,006,303 6/35 Saurer 287-85 2,453,742 11/48 Bowen et a1. 135-62 2,910,995 1 1/59 Jacuzzi 13562 3,040,757 6/62 Smith 135-64 FOREIGN PATENTS 424,268 8/ 47 Italy.

608,799 a 9/48 Great Britain.

675,513 5/39 Germany.

A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner. 

